We design and investigate novel material architectures with extreme and unconventional behavior by modeling the fundamental mechanics that govern them. Our research asks a central question: How far can macroscopic material behavior be pushed through deliberate microstructure design? So we investigate how fine-scale geometry, long-range interactions, temporal variation, and coupled physical fields generate unexpected effective responses.
By combining homogenization techniques, mathematical modeling, and numerical computation, we develop predictive effective theories, establish rigorous bounds on achievable properties, and use those bounds to inverse-design architectures that approach the limits of material performance. Spanning scales from quantum and microscopic descriptions to continuum models, our work lies at the intersection of mechanics, applied mathematics, materials science, and scientific computing.
Our long-term vision is to establish a predictive science of material architecture: one that tells us not only how complex materials behave, but what behaviors are fundamentally possible and what microstructures are required to realize them. We seek materials and structures that can manipulate waves, manage energy, adapt their response in space and time, and exploit interactions across multiple physical and length scales, with applications ranging from aerospace systems and wave control to energy and quantum-enabled materials.